SCS Product Carbon Footprint

1. Initial Inquiry & Scoping: Contact SCS Global Services to discuss your product(s) and determine which applicable standard will govern the assessment (ISO 14067, PAS 2050, or GHG Protocol Product Standard). SCS will provide a scope definition and cost estimate.

1. Data Collection: Gather comprehensive lifecycle inventory (LCI) data for the product, covering raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use phase, and end-of-life. This is typically the most time-intensive step and may require coordination across your supply chain.

1. Carbon Footprint Calculation: Using the collected LCI data, calculate the product's carbon footprint — either internally with your own team or with support from SCS or a third-party LCA consultant. SCS can provide guidance on methodology alignment.

1. Submit Documentation: Submit your LCI data, calculation methodology, assumptions, and supporting documentation to SCS for review. SCS auditors will assess completeness and conformance with the applicable standard.

1. Verification Audit: SCS auditors conduct a technical review, which may include remote document verification or an on-site facility visit to validate data accuracy and supply chain claims.

1. Address Findings: Respond to any corrective action requests or clarifications raised by SCS auditors. Revise documentation as needed.

1. Receive Certification: Upon successful verification, SCS issues a formal verification statement and certification. You may then use the SCS carbon footprint label and mark on product packaging and marketing materials.

1. Annual Renewal: Submit updated LCI data and undergo re-verification annually to maintain certification, particularly if production processes or supply chain inputs have changed.

The SCS Product Carbon Footprint certification evaluates the full lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of a specific product, expressed in kilograms of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e). The assessment is structured around the applicable standard chosen (ISO 14067, PAS 2050, or GHG Protocol Product Standard) and covers the following key areas:

System Boundary & Scope Definition: Auditors verify that the product's system boundary is correctly defined — whether it covers cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave, or cradle-to-cradle — and that all relevant lifecycle stages are included or explicitly excluded with justification.

Lifecycle Inventory (LCI) Data Quality: The core of the assessment involves scrutinizing the quality, completeness, and accuracy of the LCI data. This includes primary data from the manufacturer's own operations (energy use, material inputs, waste outputs) and secondary data from recognized LCA databases for upstream supply chain activities.

Emissions Calculation Methodology: SCS auditors review the GHG accounting methodology, including the emission factors used, allocation methods for co-products, and treatment of biogenic carbon. The calculation must conform to the requirements of the applicable standard.

Transportation & Logistics Emissions: Emissions from inbound and outbound transportation of materials and finished goods are assessed, including mode of transport, distances, and load factors.

Use Phase & End-of-Life: Depending on the system boundary, auditors evaluate assumptions around consumer use-phase energy consumption and end-of-life treatment (landfill, recycling, composting, incineration).

Uncertainty & Sensitivity Analysis: The assessment may include a review of data uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to ensure the reported carbon footprint figure is robust and defensible.

The product carbon footprint (PCF) certification market has grown significantly since the mid-2000s, driven by increasing regulatory pressure (particularly in the EU with the Product Environmental Footprint regulation and France's mandatory carbon labeling pilots), retailer sustainability requirements, and consumer demand for transparent climate disclosures. SCS Global Services is one of the most established third-party certifiers in North America, with decades of experience across sustainability, food safety, and environmental standards. Its PCF program competes with offerings from Carbon Trust (UK-based, with strong European market presence), Bureau Veritas, and emerging digital-native platforms.

SCS's PCF certification is particularly well-regarded in North American markets and among companies seeking to meet large retailer sustainability requirements (e.g., Walmart's Project Gigaton, Target's sustainability commitments). The program's alignment with ISO 14067 and GHG Protocol gives it international credibility, though the Carbon Trust Standard tends to dominate in European markets. The rise of mandatory Scope 3 reporting under frameworks like the SEC climate disclosure rule and CSRD in Europe is expected to significantly increase demand for product-level carbon verification services through the late 2020s.

One notable market trend is the shift toward digital product passports and real-time carbon data integration, which may challenge traditional annual certification models. However, third-party verified PCF certifications remain the gold standard for credible carbon labeling claims, and SCS's long-standing reputation as an accredited certifier provides a competitive moat. The overall market for PCF certification is growing at an estimated 15–20% annually, with demand concentrated in food & beverage, electronics, apparel, and building materials sectors.

SCS Global Services was founded in 1984 as Scientific Certification Systems, one of the earliest third-party environmental certification bodies in the United States. The company pioneered environmental claims verification in the 1980s and 1990s, developing some of the first scientifically rigorous lifecycle assessment methodologies for consumer products. As climate change rose to prominence in corporate sustainability agendas in the mid-2000s, SCS expanded its services to include greenhouse gas verification and product carbon footprint certification, aligning its methodology with emerging international standards such as PAS 2050 (published by BSI in 2008) and the GHG Protocol Product Standard (published in 2011).

The SCS Product Carbon Footprint program formalized as a distinct certification offering in the late 2000s to early 2010s, building on SCS's existing LCA expertise and its accreditation by the ANSI National Accreditation Board. Over time, the program incorporated ISO 14067 (published in 2013 and revised in 2018) as a primary reference standard, giving it stronger international alignment. SCS has since applied the program across a wide range of industries, from agricultural commodities and packaged foods to electronics and building materials, establishing itself as a trusted PCF verification body in North America.